A critically endangered Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat (or “Crateromys australis”) was recently rescued in Barangay Sto. Niño, Basilisa, Dinagat Islands and was safely returned to the wild. The species is found only on Dinagat Island and is considered one of the rarest mammals in the Philippines.
For decades, its existence was known from just a single specimen collected back in 1975, which left researchers uncertain whether the animal had managed to survive in the wild at all. That uncertainty lasted nearly 40 years until 2012, when it finally confirmed its existence again.
This latest encounter happened on the night of June 9, when Mercedita T. Rufo, the captain of Barangay Sto. Niño heard strange noises coming from the roof of her home in Purok 6. Captain Rufo initially assumed it was a cat and called two other neighbors, Ramsy Saquita and Ditha Navas for help to check it out.
Saquita used a flashlight to look around and spotted the pale, bushy tail of a large rodent hiding above. Navas looked the animal up online and discovered that its features lined up with descriptions of the Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, an animal found nowhere else on Earth except the Dinagat Islands.
They reported it to Jeraldine P. Brenio of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) in Basilisa, who then passed the information along to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO) in Dinagat Islands. The DENR-PENRO Wildlife Quick Response Team headed to the site alongside MENRO Basilisa staff to carefully capture it and place it in a cage where it could be documented and checked over safety.
A separate PENRO Dinagat Islands team followed shortly after, bringing specialized equipment for wildlife handling. They took body measurements, photographed the animal, and ran preliminary identification checks, while ensuring the process remained as stress-free as possible for the rat. Biologists from the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Institute of Biology later gave confirmation that the animal was indeed a Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat.
The species is officially listed as critically endangered under DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09, and internationally listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Version 2024-2.
Finding the Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat again showed how little we actually know about this animal. Since only a few sightings have been recorded, its population, habits, diet, and role in the ecosystem remain unknown. Surveys, research, and forest protection need to continue, as more hidden species may still be out there waiting to be found.
This rescue also shows how much community involvement, awareness, and teamwork between different agencies matter when it comes to protecting the wildlife found in this province. DENR-PENRO Dinagat is asking residents to keep reporting wildlife sightings and to support local conservation efforts, so that the animals unique to the Dinagat Islands can still be around for future generations to see.
Protecting the forests is critical for many animals like the cloud rat and the plants that can only be found in several parts of the country. A species once thought gone can still survive quietly in the wild as long as its habitat stays intact. Continued conservation efforts will help ensure that unique wildlife like the Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat continues to thrive.